Since 2020, we have partnered with the international sustainability consultancy ERM to assess our carbon footprint using the GHG Protocol. Thanks to Tikheau our shareholder.
In 2022, we launched an emissions reduction program, and in late 2023 we committed to SBTi to set science-based targets to reduce our emissions on all three Scopes.
We are currently developing a detailed activity-by-activity roadmap to reduce emissions across all three Scopes. Scope 3 emissions account for 98.7% of our total emissions, whereof 94% result from the purchase of goods and services, which emphasises the critical importance of engaging our supply chain in our efforts. The carbon footprint, as one of our project criteria, is considered during the selection process by Amarenco’s Investment Committee.
As a matter of fact, Amarenco set an objective of a maximum average carbon footprint of 45gCO2e/kwh for the plants built each year.
* The GHG footprint assessment covers scope 1 and 2 emissions generated by all offices and vehicles operated by Amarenco, as well as relevant scope 3 categories covering PV plants owned by Amarenco. Plants operated but not owned by Amarenco were excluded.
199 453 tCO2e emitted along Amarenco’s value chain in 2024. (2024’s carbon footprint is higher than 2023’s due to an increase of new capacity installed.)
Carbon Footprint Assessment Scope:
Lagrave • Lyon • Toulouse • Montélimar • Guadeloupe • La Réunion • Ireland • Oman • Austria • Dubai • Portugal • Spain • Singapore • Jordan
Purchased goods & services
Capital goods (included in purchased goods and services)
Fuel – and energy – related activities
Upstream transport
Waste
Business travel
Employee commuting
Upstream leased assets [NA]
Fuel and gas consumption (sites, offices and vehicles)
Energy supplied (sites, offices and vehicles)
Downstream transports [NA]
Processing sold products [NA]
Use of sold products [NA]
Sold products end-of-life
Downstream leased assets [NA]
Franchises [NA]
Investments [NA]
As a renewable energy producer, we supply energy that helps reduce the carbon footprint of the countries in which we operate. With ERM, we have developed an avoided emissions calculator for the lifetime of our photovoltaic power plants, which is integrated into the carbon footprint calculation tool for our projects. This calculator is largely based on the principles defined by the Net Zero initiative (June 2022) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (March 2023) for this type of assessment.
Thanks to the growing demand for new PV installations, this number is increasing every year.
In 2022, we installed 26 MWp in Europe, which doubled to 54 MWp in 2023 and reached 213 Mwp in 2024 !
* Our assessment of avoided emissions was based on the principles proposed by the Net Zero Initiative (June 2022) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (March 2023), while taking into account potential limitations in terms of data availability.
Avoided emissions usually refer to the equivalent emissions of the national electricity mix, for the same quantity of electricity (MWh) produced.
Amarenco evaluates avoided emissions by estimating the difference between lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity produced by Amarenco PV plants and lifecycle carbon intensity of electricity produced by the average electricity mix in the countries where Amarenco’s PV plants are located.
=
Emissions of the national energy mix
(or avoided emissions)
–
emissions of Amarenco plants
The net avoided emissions provide a transparent view on the GHG emissions really avoided, and a better understanding to our PPA clients and offtakers of the carbon avoided in the Scopes 2 and 3 of their GHG footprint.